NXT 2.0 Buy
Wondering where you can buy NXT 2.0 Mindstorms ? yes, You can buy NXT 2.0 Mindstorms from many big retailers offline or online like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart etc.
But which one is the best? We have done work for you, we find NXT 2.0 Buy best at Amazon.com. This giant online retailers give the best price which included FREE Shipping (in US only) for this holiday season.
Amazon.com is a reputable company that stand out in customer services. You will have a piece of mind because not only they will make sure you get the holiday gift on time but they are very actively in updating you the status of your gift delivery. Gift wrapping is also available for just a small additional fee.
NXT 2.0 Mindstorms is one of most requested and top christmas gift 2010 for kids especially for kids around 10 years and older.
>> Hot Christmas Toys and Gifts Like This tend to SELL OUT VERY QUICKLY <<
If this is MUST HAVE gift, be sure to order now to avoid disappintment.
Don’t spend more than you have to! We already done the research for you. Please read where to buy LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (8547)
NXT 2.0 Buy Best
LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT is back and better than ever, with new robot models, even more customizable programming, and all-new technology including a color sensor! NXT 2.0 MINDSTORMS combines the unlimited versatility of the LEGO building system with an intelligent microcomputer brick and intuitive drag-and-drop programming software. The new 2.0 toolkit features everything you need to create your first robot in 30 minutes and then tens of thousands of other robotic inventions that do what you want!
- The intelligent NXT LEGO brick features 32-bit microprocessor, a large matrix display, 4 input and 3 output ports, and Bluetooth and USB communication link
- Three interactive servo motors
- Four sensors: Ultrasonic Sensor, 2 Touch Sensors and the all-new Color Sensor
- Color Sensor has triple functionality: distinguishes colors and light settings, and functions as a lamp
- Easy-to-use software (PC and Mac) with icon-based drag-and-drop programming and 16 fun building and programming challenges All the LEGO® elements (612 pcs) you need for creating incredible robots Building instructions for 4 new amazing robots
- Personalize your robots with the Sound and Icon editors
- Share your project files with your friends with the Pack-N-Go project packager
- Batteries not included
Don't Buy LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 (8547)...
Don't buy NXT 2.0 (8547) untill you read these review from a customer who bought it
A nice complement for the book and movie for Christmas time, January 13, 2007
By C. Kapraun (Pearland, TX United States)
My son is 4 years old. He is really into Thomas and was just amazed the first time we started reading Polar Express and played the video. I was playing with the idea of getting this set for him for Christmas and opted to get the Bachmann Thomas sets since I had not seen one of these in person and he is "really" into Thomas the Tank engine.
After Christmas, a major department store had these for 50% off the suggested retail price. I could not pass this up. The department store also had one of these on display.
All I have to say is "wow". The locomotive is actually metal. It smokes; it has a whistle; it lights up; and it's a train. The power pack is nice and stout also. For anyone who had train sets as a kid, this is a blast from the past. It reminds me more of my father's Lionel set from 40-50s than the plastic one I got one Christmas as a kid. It is very well detailed. I would probably have paid full price and felt ok about it since it is good quality.
The bell is a nice touch.
The figures are neither here nor there. Maybe if kids are a little older they might be better. Just a note: The fireman does not have the same long hair as the video.
The track is a lot easier to work with than the old Lionel with the pins from back in the day. You do not need to tack the pieces down to keep the track together either.
The locomotive moves smoothly. It is heavy and stays on the track well.
The cars light up brightly.
At 4 years old, my son primarily watches and hits the whistle button. He has operated the speed a little. The track would be tough for him to work with. Stick with Geo Trax or wooden Thomas if you are not going to work with/supervise your kids on this. But then, the set is also recommended for ages 8 and above.
Minor downsides.
When we tested the unit, the tender's mid rail pickup was not fully inserted and shorted with the wheels next to it. We fixed this and all was well. This item may have been a packaging issue but appears to be ok now.
I have not run the set up to full throttle, but it looks like it might derail at full speed. (We had this on a table and derailing it would have meant doing a "drop" test.) This just means someone needs good judgement and experience in setting the speed. The train also is slow to start after you set the speed. (I am not sure if this intended to simulate inertia or not.) Again this probably means you want a patient person on the throttle.
Other thoughts.
It is O scale...so it is takes up space. You can rerail these easier than HO and N.
With the radius curves included in the set, the coaches seem a little long.
We also picked up the Hot Chocolate car at a local retailer that had it on sale. The coaches are plastic but look good.
Summary:
I would definitely buy this set again. The locomotive looks awesome Accessories are a bit expensive (in my opinion at least). The Bachmanns Thomas sets are a good year round thing, but this one seems like it will be something special for around Christmas time.
A few quality control problems, December 31, 2009
By PKU mom (Colorado)
All our five-year old son wanted for Christmas this year was this train. We were hesitant to buy it because he is not eight yet (the box states that it is for ages eight and above), but we figured we would supervise him very closely whenever it was used. It was a big step up from the GeoTrax and various Thomas trains he has accumulated over the past three years.
We purchased the starter set from Amazon and with the Super Saver shipping received it in just a few days. We also purchased from other vendors some of the other Polar Express cars, extra track (including the figure eight, outside loop, and crossings), and add-on figures.
We experienced some defects right out of the box. First, a metal part from the bottom of the very heavy engine fell off. Fortunately, we found the pin that held it in place and were able to put the part back in place. (Later, the service station technician had to repair it because he said it would not have held the way it was.) Second, one of the passenger cars started to make pretty large sparks and ultimately caused the train to stop and the green light on the transformer box to blink. The repair technician was able to fix it in about 45 minutes. He said two wires had melted together. He tried to assure me, however, that these trains are safe. Third, one of the extra cars we purchased (the Conductor/Announcement car which talks) ran fine when we first tried it for a few times around the track, but when we put it back on the track later in the day, the green light on the transformer box blinked, and the train would not move with that car on the line. The technician thinks there is a short in the car, and it had to be sent out to be repaired. We may get it back in a week or two. Finally, the engine has a small plastic (non-working) whistle on top that was bent over when taken out of the box. When we carefully tried to straighten it out, it broke off. The technician said we should not bother to replace it because they never last more than 30 minutes. Especially for a train at this price point, why doesn't Lionel make it out of metal like the rest of the engine so it will last?
Fortunately, we were able to run the train with some of the cars on Christmas day, so our son wasn't totally disappointed. There was a dad behind me in line at the repair station, however, whose children had received a different Lionel O gauge train set from Santa, and the transformer box (the exact same kind that came with our set) never worked. So, his kids were very disappointed all Christmas day.
One of the service technicians informed me that we should have cleaned the tracks, even though they were right out of the box, because some of the grease/oil from the engine gets on the tracks. He said the cars with lights (like the Polar Express cars) and light and sound (like the Polar Express Conductor/Announcement car) are particularly sensitive to dirty tracks. Perhaps Lionel should make note of this in the owner's manual so electric train novices like us would know to clean the tracks so soon. Even better would be to also include a small bottle of cleaner with the set so you do not have to run right out and buy it or risk damage to some of your new cars.
As mentioned in other reviews, the engine is very heavy and substantial. The cars, however, are very light and made of plastic, but they are realistic looking. Also as mentioned in other reviews, the railing on the last (observation) car is quick to fall off. Hopefully these cars will last over the years.
The track was pretty easy to put together, but given the cost of the extra track, it is very expensive to make a bigger layout, unlike the Thomas and GeoTrax tracks that we alreay have.
Despite our problems, our son is thrilled with the train. Overall we are happy with it, but we wish we didn't have to use an afternoon over the holiday going to the repair station. We were quite surprised to have so many problems right off the bat given the Lionel name and the price point of this set.
A great train for christmas time ..., November 2, 2010
By Gustavo Casanova (Argentina)
I received the train delivered to my hotel room in perfect conditions from Amazon. The train looks sturdy and durable, except for a little plastic whistle and the bell the engine have in the front. As I live in a country with 220 volts 50 hz household power, I decided to buy the train well in advance to have enought time for thoroughly test it before my 3 years old son receive it on Christmas day.
Having read lots of complains in the web regarding the 60 vs 50 hz issue of the Lionel CW-80 transformer, I was a bit worried regarding its behavior. I assembled all the pieces contained in the box, which by the way looks fantastic - even includes a Santa's sleigh bell -, plugged it in through a 220 to 110v step-down transformer and started the tests.
I was afraid tighten the throttle at first, but after 20 minutes of running without visible problems, I started to accelerate the convoy: 40%, 60; 80% and 100%. I left it running at 80% of power for about an hour and a half. The result was: No problem at all!!!
I'm not sure if I was lucky or the Lionel technicians have solved the issue, but it works superb. The whistle sounds when its supposed to, pressing the button after the train gained some speed. Regarding the smoke generator, I thought It was not working but, after 2-3 minutes of running at 100% power began to smoke perfectly, I think the delay in the smoke generator operation could be related to the power frequency.
In summary, this is a fantastic model train set, wonderfully boxed that I hope will be an unforgettable Christmas gift for my son.
For those living overseas with 50hz mains, buy it with confidence, now it works ok.
Regards from Argentina ...
NXT 2.0: A Solid Improvement on the Best MINDSTORMS Set Ever, July 19, 2009
By David J. Perdue "MINDSTORMS author"
I first encountered the MINDSTORMS series in 2001 when I bought the Robotics Invention System 1.5 out of curiosity. Since then, I've purchased and used numerous MINDSTORMS sets, written two MINDSTORMS books, developed and taught a LEGO robotics course, and given LEGO presentations. So when I heard that LEGO was releasing the NXT 2.0 set in summer/fall 2009, I was curious to discover how LEGO would improve its flagship product. After finally getting my hands on a 2.0 set, I've been busy building, programming, and analyzing the kit's features. And I think this is the best MINDSTORMS set to date.
The original NXT set released in 2006 (I'll call it the "1.0 set") enjoyed enormous success but still had some shortcomings. The NXT 2.0 set addresses some of those flaws and really is everything the 1.0 set should have been. As a robotics kit, the NXT 2.0 set mainly involves building and programming, so I'll take a look at how the kit performs in each of these areas.
First, the building experience is fun and challenging while offering some exciting new additions. For the electronic elements, the NXT microcomputer and servo motors remain the same in both design and quantity; however, the selection of sensors has changed. There are now two touch sensors, an ultrasonic (distance) sensor, and the color sensor. The new color sensor boasts three functionalities. It can detect colors (6 basic colors), measure light intensity, and act as a lamp (emitting a red, blue, or green light). Unlike the 1.0 set, there is no light sensor or sound sensor: the new color sensor can function as a light sensor, and LEGO apparently thought that having two touch sensors would be more useful than having one touch sensor and one sound sensor as in the 1.0 set. I agree.
The building elements are, once again, studless LEGO TECHINC pieces rather than traditional bricks. The 1.0 set included a few TECHNIC bricks, but these are gone in the 2.0 set, which focuses entirely on studless construction. Overall, there is still a good selection of beams, pegs, and axles (including a new #9 length axle) as well as the addition of two small rubber bands. Also fun is the special ball shooter equipment along with 12 small, brightly colored balls.
There are only a few gears included, though. Whereas the 1.0 set included a fairly good variety and quantity of gears, the 2.0 set includes only a handful of double bevel gears and a single 12t bevel gear. This is a bit disappointing but also understandable. People like to add lots of gears to their robots to make them look cool, but lots of gears introduce lots of friction. The 2.0 kit's sample robot designs demonstrate how to connect pieces directly to motors rather than using gears to transmit the motion. This works fine and takes a little bit of getting used to, but I would still encourage new LEGO users to expand their collection of gears after purchasing the 2.0 set.
As for the programming, the 2.0 version of the included NXT-G software offers some welcome new features. A remote control, sound editor, image editor, new programming blocks, improved performance, and other features make programming a more enjoyable experience. Performance is noticeably better than in the 1.0 version but can still be sluggish.
The software includes a number of fun challenges spread across four robot designs: Shooterbot, Robogator, Color Sorter, and Alpha Rex. The sample robots are durable and work well, although some of the instructions for using Color Sorter were a bit confusing. The new version of Alpha-Rex is a truly fascinating robot: in addition to being a fun "advanced" model to build, new users can learn a lot from its incredibly compact and elegant design.
The NXT 2.0 set is leading the MINDSTORMS series in the right direction. I like what I see in this set, and I believe LEGO has a winner on its hands. The 2.0 set is more expensive than the 1.0 set--by $30--but I believe the improvements and added functionality justify the extra cost. In sum, the NXT 2.0 set is a great toolset for any robotics enthusiast and a must-have for MINDSTORMS fans.